Cooking range structure



March 24, 1953 e. c. PEARCE cooxmc RANGE STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 1, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 r if II I FIG. I

March 24, 1953 G. c. PEARCE 2,532,434 I I I COOKING RANGE STRUCTURE I Filed Sept. 1, 1945 '4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

March 24, 1953' G. c. PEARCE 2,532,434

- I v v COOKING RANGE STRUCTURE Filed Sepp. 1, 1945 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 24, G (3. PE

COOKING RANGE STRUCTURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 41, 1945 w 7? WENTUR. Wbfl 01 Patented Mar. 24, 1953 COOKING RANGE STRUCTURE George C. Pearce, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application September 1, 1945, Serial No. 613,982

Claims.

This application relates to domestic appliance and more particularly to ranges.

An object of this invention is to provide a range in which a substantially rectangular boxlike skeleton frame is provided, to which side panels, a cooking top, an oven liner, an oven door,

and other parts may be attached to form the completed range with the Side panels supporting the skeleton frame in the upper portion of the range.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view, in perspective, showing the completed range;

Fig. 2 is a perspective front view of a portion of Fig. 1, with the two doors of the range with- I drawn therefrom and showing the range oven door in open position;

Fig. 3 is an exploded view, in perspective, of a large number of parts for the range;

Fig. 4 is a view of the rear panel of the boxlike skeleton frame looking toward the inside surface thereof;

Fig. 5 is a view of the right-hand edge of the rear panel shown in Fig. 4;

Fig-6 is an inside elevational view of the lefthand side panel of the range;

Fig. 7 is a view of the right-hand edge of the side panel disclosed in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a view of the left-hand edge of the side panel disclosed in Fig. 6.

The range shown in Fig. 1 may comprise a main body consisting of a plurality of porcelain enameled outer metal pans or'panels to be hereinafter described in detail. The main body may be assembled around or constructed on a skeleton structure comprising a rectangular box-like frame It (see Fig. 3) to which portions of the main body may be attached. Thus a left hand side panel l2 and a right hand side panel I3 may beattached to sides of the frame H, and may extend below the frame I I a substantial distance to form the support for the range, or to surround the support for the range. The top panel l4 may be placed over the frame II to form the cooking top. An oven liner 15, which is flanged at [6 (see Fig. 3) may be telescoped into the opening ll of the frame It If desired, a drawer [8 may be'telescoped into the opening 19 of the frame ll, and'may carry an .ornamenta1 front plate 20. An oven doorzl may be hinged on the frame II in any suitable manner such for example as shown and described in my Patent No. 2,569,775, dated October 2, 1951, which is a continuation-in-part of the present application, to close the open frontend of liner I5. A lower drawer 22 may slide on the channels 23, and may be provided with an ornamental front 24. A foot plate 25 may be attached to the-two side panels I: and I3 and may tie them together to form a rigid structure.

Details of the rectangular born-like frame The frame ll preferably is made of channel or angle iron structure, and preferably has a ground coat of enamel applied thereto. Channel or angle iron members are welded together substantially as indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. A partition 26 extends from the front to the rear, to retain insulation around the oven liner I5. The front of the frame ll includes upright channels 27, 28 and 29, a horizontal lower channel 30, an upper right'hand channel 3| and. a left hand upper channel 32. The right hand side of the frame I I may include a lower channel 146 and an upper angle 33. The left hand side of frame ll may include a lower channel and upper angle members similar to I40 and 33 respectively at the right-hand side thereof. The frame ll includes a rear panel 35 which forms a back wall of the frame and consequently the back wall of the range. Another channel may extend from the front to the back of skeleton frame it adjacent the lower edge of panel 26. All of these members are preferably firmly welded together to form a strong box-like .rectangular frame structure.

Double channel members 36 are secured, inside of the frame H, to the rear of opening 19, which are adapted to support a combined drip plate and the broiler pan 31 (see Fig. 2) while not in use. Channel members 33 are also secured to the rear of opening I9 to support the drawer I8, which is provided with suitable flanges 39 along its upper edge to fit into the channels 38.

Details of the side panels The side panels l2 and I3 are preferably provided with upper and lower flanges 40, 4! and front and rear flanges 42 and A3. Suitable openings 44 are provided in these flanges so that bolts or screws may pass therethrough for attachment to the frame ll. Brackets 45 are bolted to the front flanges 42, and gussets 46 are bolted to the flanges 53 (see Fig. 3). A channel 23 extends from the bracket 45 to the gusset 46 at each side of the range (see Figs. 2 and 3). The drawer 22 slides on the channels 23 through the medium of upper flanges 48 at the top of drawer 22. The gussets 46 are secured to the rear panel 35 to brace the rear of the panels I2 and I3. The foot plate 25 is bolted to the lower ends of the flanges 42 of the panels I2 and I3 to join the two panels rigidly at the front.

The top panel I4 is secured in place by any suitable means such as gussets through which conventional bolts or screws may pass and be secured to the box frame II. The front 52 of top Id of the range is provided with a rearwardly extending flange. This flange may be slid under the heads of bolts, which are secured to the front 3| of frame II through the medium of suitable brackets or the like, before the top I4 is secured at the rear of the frame. This prevents the top I4 from being lifted upwardly after it is secured in place.

The top I4 may support a plurality of top heaters 65 and/or a top cooker 6| (see Figs. 1 and 2). These may be. of any well known construction, which are adapted to be supported by cured in front of the top I4 for manipulation by the user.

A closure panel (not shown) may be secured to the rear of member 32, which boxes off the switches and prevents the shorting or injury thereto. The wiring to the heaters 60 and SI may pass through an opening provided in such closure panel. Top I4 of the range may be provided with an upstanding back portion into ,or'upon which may be mounted fluorescent light I04, an electric clock I22, an oven heater control handle 98, an automatic oven heater timer clock I2I and an oven vent opening I58 (see Fig. 1) as is usual or conventional in the art.

The oven liner I preferably is made in two or more sections welded together. The side walls I25 of liner I5 have inward corrugations I26 which form grooves on the outside of the liner and shelf ridges I26a' on the inside of the liner (see Figs. 2 and 3). The sheet of metal which forms the side walls I25 of liner I5 is bent to form a square hollow tube with flanges I6 welded or formed thereon at one end and no flanges at the other end. A metal cup 121, rectangular in cross-section, is telescoped over the rear end of this tube, and is welded thereto. Several pockets I28 are thus formed where the grooves I26 meet the edge of the cup I21. Two or more J-shaped bolts I29 may be hooked over the edge of the cup I21, at I28, and these bolts I29 may extend through openings I3I (see Fig. 3) provided in the rear plate or panel 35. A suitable nut and washer placed over the bolts I29 may be drawn tightly against the rear panel 35. In this manner the flange IS on liner I5 is drawn up against the inner edges of walls of the opening I'I. Thus the oven liner I5 is positioned in the skeleton frame structure with its open end portion secured thereto about the opening I1 therein and with its rear portion supported 4 by the bolts I29 from the back wall or panel 35 thereof.

The construction and operation of the oven door 2I may be of any conventional design; but preferably is substantially as shown and described in Figs. 33 through 36 of my patent hereinabove identified.

In assembling the range herein disclosed the members of the skeleton frame or box II are first welded together. The panels I2 and I3 are attached to the box II. The foot plate 25 is secured to the panels I2 and I3 to lock the portions thereof depending below box or frame II to one another. The liner I5 is then assembled to the box or frame II. Thereafter the top panel I4 is mounted upon the skeleton frame II and the drawers I8 and 22 are slid in place upon their respective tracks or supports 38 and-23.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, as may come within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In combination, a cooking range having a unitary self supporting skeleton structure, said skeleton structure comprising upright members forming vertically extending corners at the front of said range, a plurality of substantially horizontal members disposed substantially at right angles to said upright members and a rear panel, said upright members, said rear panel and said horizontal members being rigidly joined together with said rear panel forming a back wall of said skeleton structure, said rear panel having an edge portion thereof along each of its upright sides flanged and forming vertically extending rear corners on said structure, separate side panels for said range each having their upright edges flanged, said side panels extending around the front and rear vertical corners of said structure with their flanged edges secured to said upright members and said back wall thereof respectively, a separate panel upon said structure forming the top of said range, said structure having an opening in the front thereof, an oven liner within said range, said liner having an open end, said liner being positioned in said structure with its open end portion secured thereto about the opening in the front thereof and its rear portion supported from said back wall, an oven door hinged to said structure in front of said liner for closing its open end. and said side panels depending below said structure and forming the sole means of supporting the structure in the upper portion of said range.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 Wherein guide means is carried by and extends along the depending portion of each of said side panels, and a drawer is movably mounted upon the opposed guide means below said structure.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein rigid means is secured to a lower portion of the rear vertical flange of each of said side panels and is attached to said back wall for bracing the depending portions of said side panels.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein a plate extends across the front of said range below and in spaced relation to said structure and has its ends secured to said side panels for locking the depending portions of the panels to one another, guide means is carried by and extends along the depending portion of each of said panels, and a drawer is movably mounted upon the opposed guide means in the space between said structure and said plate.

5. In combination, a cooking range having a unitary self supporting skeleton structure, said skeleton structure comprising upright means forming vertically extending corners at the front of said range, horizontal means disposed substantially at right angles to said upright means and a rear panel, said upright means, said rear panel and said horizontal means being rigidly joined together with said rear panel forming a back Wall of said skeleton structure, separate side panels for said range each having their upright edges flanged, said side panels extending around the front and rear vertical corners of said structure with their flanged edges secured to said upright means and said back wall thereof respectively, a separate panel upon said structure forming the top of said range, said structure having an opening in the front thereof, an oven liner within said range, said liner having an open end, said liner being positioned in said structure with its open end portion secured thereto about the opening in the front thereof and its rear portion supported from said back Wall, an oven door in front of said liner for closing its open end, and said side panels depending below said structure and forming the 6 sole means of supporting the structure in the upper portion of said range.

GEORGE C. PEARCE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 116,954 Heym Oct. 3, 1939 1,706,122 MacInnes Oct. 24, 1927 1,742,660 MacInnes Apr. 15, 1929 1,843,486 Kahn et a1 Feb. 2, 1932 2,019,045 Chafee Oct. 29, 1935 2,096,812 Kessler Oct. 26, 1937 2,140,408 Sherman Dec. 13, 1938 2,291,737 Lockwood Aug. 4, 1942 2,295,378 Barnsteiner Sept. 8, 1942 2,295,915 Ring Sept. 15, 1942 2,339,197 Rutenber Jan. 11, 1944 2,364,950 Cook Dec. 12, 1944 2,375,242 Lockwood May 8, 1945 2,393,879 Barnsteiner Jan. 29, 1946 2,414,163 Barnsteiner et a1. Jan. 14, 1947 2,418,152 Avery Apr. 1, 1947 2,453,832 Dadson Nov. 16, 1948 

